Yarn treating apparatus

ABSTRACT

Yarn-treating apparatus including a rotatable applicator roll for treating an advancing strand of yarn and is movable between a retracted, operative position in which the roll is coupled to a drive mechanism and an extended, servicing position in which the roll is uncoupled from the drive mechanism. A supply trough provides treating material for the applicator roll and is adjustable for varying the depth of the treating material in the trough.

United States Patent (72] Inventor Stanley C. Kershaw Lincoln, Rd.

[21 Appl. No. 706,075

[22] Filed Feb. 16, 1968 [45] Patented Jan. 5, 1971 [73] Assignee Leesona Corporation Warwick, RJ.

a corporation of Massachusetts [54] YARN TREATING APPARATUS 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 118/234, 1 18/258 [51] Int. Cl B05c 1/04 [50] Field of Search.....' 118/234,

258; 28/59; 57/35, 56; 68/202, 203; 118/Wire and Cord Roller, 7(Cursory) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 183,499 10/1876 Horton et a1 118/234X 1,475,628 11/1923 Hanson 118/7 2,272,177 2/1942 Madden 1 18/Wire and Cord Roller 2,597,613 5/1952 Brewer ..l.18/Wire&C. R. 2,835,221 5/1958 Slayter et al. ..l.l8/Wire&C. R. 894,592 7/1908 Callan 1 18/234X 1,031,620 7/1912 Callan 118/234X 2,109,647 3/1938 North 68/202UX 2,568,446 9/1951 Griffin l18/234X 2,899,796 8/1959 Soussloff et a1 57/35 3,043,721 7/1962 Burns 118/234X 3,288,107 11/1966 Conrad 118/234 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,886 9/1913 Great Britain 68/202 455,452 10/1936 Great Britain 57/35 Primary Examiner-John P. McIntosh Attorneys-Albert P. Davis and Burnett W. Norton ABSTRACT: Yarn-treating apparatus including a rotatable applicator roll for treating an advancing strand of yarn and is movable between a retracted, operative position in which the roll is coupled to a drive mechanism and an extended, servicing position in which the roll is uncoupled from the drive mechanism. A supply trough provides treating material for the applicator roll and is adjustable for varying the depth of the treating material in the tl'ough.

PATENTEUJAN 5|97| 3.552.354

SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR. STANLEY C. KERSHAW H; 2 awk/f BM 17M ATTORNEYS PATENTED JAN 5 ran INVENTOR. STANLEY C. KERSHAW wap/ aw 7M @ZJ? ATTORNEYS YARN TREATING APPARATUS The invention relatesto yarn-treating apparatus and particularly to such apparatus readily movable between operative and servicing positions and including an adjustable supply of treating material.

. In textile processing, it is customary to treat yarn with a lubricant or other agent to improve its running properties dur ing winding or other operations. For this reason, winding or other textile machinery is often equipped with yarn-treating apparatus, but in many instances this apparatus is difficult to service because of its location on the machinery. As a result, maintenance is often neglected or deferred until such time that it becomes absolutely necessary. When this occurs, the service procedure usually requires a considerable period of time during which an entire machine remains idle. Servicing is especially costly in the instance of amultistation machine wherein a plurality of separate winding assemblies are mounted on a common frame in side-by-side relationship and so interconnected that an interruption at one winding assembly brings about an interruption at all of the winding assemblies. Further, conventional treating apparatus usually lacked the ability of selectively varying the amount of lubricant being applied to the yarn.

The present invention is an improvement over conventional yarn-treating apparatus and to this end the apparatus is mountedon a carriage which is movable between an extended, inoperative servicing position, and a retracted, operative position. Further, the improved apparatus can be easily and quickly removed for repair or replacement without interrupting operations at adjacent winding assemblies. Also, a supply of treating material is provided with a mechanism permitting adjustment of the amount of treating material being applied to the yarn. I

Therefore, a primary object of the invention is to provide new and improved yarn-treating apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved yarn-treating apparatus including an applicating device supported on a carriage which is movable between a retracted position during normal use and an extended position -For servicing. A related object is provision of such apparatus in which the carriage is movable between a retracted position coupled with a drive mechanism. Another related object is the provision of a source of treating material which is adjustable to vary the flow of the material to the applicating device.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious or will be presentedin the description which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrating yarn-treating apparatusin an operative or retracted position, with certain parts being broken away and in section for increased clarity;

FIG. 2 is a section view taken substantially along line 2-2 in FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. I and 2, certain parts being broken away andin section for increased clarity;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG 2 but to a reduced scale, illustrating the yarn treating apparatus in'an inoperative or extended position;

FIG. 5 is a section view taken substantially along line 5-5 in FIG. 3 (and along line 5-5 in FIG. 1); and

FIG. 6 is a section view taken substantially along line 6-6 in FIG. 3, certain parts shown in phantom forincreased clarity.

Refer now to the drawings, and to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 at the outset showing a textile machine 10 having a substantially rigid frame including a housing or front enclosure 12 and a laterally extending support beam 14. A pair of substantially parallel, spaced-apart bars 16 connect the housing 12 to the beam 14 and for this purpose each bar I6 has a turned over tab 18 at one end suitably fixed to the housing 12 as by welding and a tumed-over tab 20 at the other end suitably fixed to the beam 14 as by a bolt 22. A plurality of laterally and inwardly extending stub axles 24 are fixed at their outer ends (FIG. 3) to the bars I6. To each of the stub axles 24 is rotatably mounted a roller 26 received in C-shaped channel tracks 28 which support a carriage 30.

The carriage 30 includes a front panel 32 which has a peripheral edge extending beyond and covering a generally rectangular aperture 34 (FIGS. 3 and 4) in the front enclosure 12 permitting access to the interior of the machine 10. Bolts 36 extend through the front panel 32 and are suitably threaded into the housing 12 to hold the front panel against the housing during normal processing (FIG. 2). At their forward ends, the tracks 28 are suitably fixed to the front panel 32 and extend rearwardly of the panel. A laterally extending rod 38 is fixed at its ends to the tracks 28 adjacent their rear ends for structural rigidity and also to assure that the tracks 28 are maintained in a substantially parallel relationship.

An applicator roll 40, which projects through a generally rectangular opening 42 (FIG. 3) in the front panel 32, is fixed on a shaft 44 which in turn is rotatably received in a pair of bearings 46. Each of the bearings 46 is provided with a peripheral groove 48 having a width slightly greater than the thickness of an associated .l-shaped cradle 50 and is supported on an upper curved surface 52 (FIG. 5) of the cradle 50, the grooves 48 serving to hold the bearings 46 against axial movement. The cradles 50 are suitably mounted as by welding to the front panel 32 and extend in a rearward direction. At the rear edge of each cradle 50,.a tab 54 (FIGS. 1 and 5) is bent over so as to extend in a lateral direction. Cooperating with each tab 54 and lying in a plane coextensive with the tab is a radially extending pin 56 having an end fixed to the outer peripheral surface of its associated bearing 46. Since the bearings 46 merely rest upon the cradles 50, the pins 56 prevent rotation of the bearings 46 in the clockwise direction (viewing FIG. 5) when they engage the tabs 54. To assure that each bearing 46 remains properly seated on the surfaces 52 during rotation of the applicator roll 40, a strap 58, preferably of a resilient material such as spring steel, extends between laterally directed posts 60 and 62 (see especially FIG. 5) fixed to the cradle 50 and follows an arcuate path across an upper surface of the bearing 46. The straps 58, which have their ends curled to engage the posts 60 and 62, are readily removed by sliding them laterally of the posts until freed. Thereupon, the bearings 46 can be removed by lifting them from the surfaces 52 and away from the cradles 50.

To drive the applicator roll 40,.a continuously operating drive shaft 64 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) is rotatably supported in a suitable manner on the frame of the textile machine '10. During normal processing, an endless chain 66 engaging a driver sprocket 68 keyed to the drive shaft 64 is guided around a pair of idler sprockets 70 and 72 and drivingly engages an applicator sprocket 74 keyed to the shaft 44 preferably by a shear pin. The idler sprocket 70 is journaled on a stub shaft 76 fixed to the right hand bar 16 (see FIG. 3) and the idler sprocket 72 is journaled on a stub shaft 76 fixed to a bracket 80 in turn fixed to the housing 12 as by welding.

Protruding through an enlarged bottom portion 82 of the opening 42 (FIG. 3) is a supply trough 84 containing a fluid treating material to be applied to an advancing strand of yarn Y (FIG. 2) suitably guided across the peripheral surface of the applicator roll 40. The supply trough 84 includes a base 86, a forward wall 88, a rear wall 90, and a pair of sidewalls 92. Spaced slightly forward of the rear wall is a laterally ex tending weir 94 (FIGS. 4 and 6) which serves to normally confine the treating material to the space defined between the weir 94 and the forward wall 88 such that the outer peripheral surface of the applicator roll 40 descends into the treating material as it rotates.

To adjust the depth to which the applicator roll 40 descends into the treating material within the trough 84, the supply trough is pivotally supported to rock about a substantially horizontal axis. More specifically, the forward wall 88 rests upon a lower horizontal edge of the opening 42 (FIG. 6) and a broad plate 96, unitary with the forward part of the base 86, extends downwardly and forwardly so as to engage with the underside of an upwardly and rearwardly extending ledge 98 integral with the front panel 32. Viewing especially FIG. 5, a pair of studs 100 are fixed to the front panel 32 to the left of the opening 42 (FIG. 3) and, extending rearwardly, pass through vertically elongated openings 102 '(FIG. 3) in a laterally directed foot 104 bent over from the main body of a K rearwardly extending bracket 106 (FIGS. 1 and The elongated openings 102 permit vertical adjustment of the bracket 106 and when the desired elevation is achieved; nuts 108 threadedly engaged with the studs 100 are tightened to secure the bracket 106 to the front panel 32. An end of the bracket 106 distant from the front panel 32 is bent into a U-shape (FIG. 1) defining a forwardly directed ear 110 FIGS. 1 and 5). A pivot pin in the form of a'wing bolt 1 12 rec'eived through appropriately positioned clearance holes in the ear 110,- in the mainbody of the bracket 106, and in the adjacent sidewall 92 is threadedly engaged with a nut 114 (FIGS: land 4) fixed as by welding to the inner surface of the sidewall 92 beneath'the weir 94 to pivotally support the supply trough 84 adjacent its rear wall 90. a Thus, by lifting the bracket 106, the trough 84 is rocked in a clockwise direction (FIGS. 5 and 6) about a hinge defined by the plate 96 and the ledge 98 to increase the depth to which the applicator roll 40 can descend into the coating material, and vice versa. When the desired attitude ofthe trough 84 relative to a horizontal plane has been achieved, the top of the weir 94 determines the depth of the coating material, and any excess flows over the weir 94 and is discharged through a nipple 116. Serving as an overflow drain, the nipple 116 is welded or otherwise secured to the rear wall 90 and communicates with the interior of the supply trough 84' and fittingly receives one end of a flexible hose 118 which leads to a=supply reser voir (not shown). i

The treating material is admitted to the supply trough 84 via a preferably rigid tube 120 suitably fixed, as by welding, to the trough 84 so that one end extends into a region between the forward wall 88 and the weir 94 (FIG. 6). One end ofa flexible hose 122 is attached to the tube 120 by means of a clamp 124 and at the other end is fittingly received on the discharge side of a supply valve 126 which is suitably operated by means of a knob 128 (FIG. 2). A fluid conduit 130 is fittingly attached to the inlet side of the supply valve 126 and extends to a supply reservoir (not shown) for the treating material. The flow rate of the coating material into the supply trough 84 is governed by the knob 128 whose setting, in turn, is dependent upon the porosity of the advancing yarn Y and the rate of rotation of the applicator roll 40.

During normal processing, the panel 32 is positioned against the housing 12 and the bolts 36 are suitably threaded into the housing 12 such that the sprocket 74 engages the chain 66 to rotate the applicator roll 40, preferably in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by an arrow 131 in FIG. 2.

As the periphery of the applicator roll 40 descends into the treating material within the trough 84, it acquires a film of the material on its peripheral surface for delivery to the advancing strand of yarn Y. Inhibiting undesirable flow' of coating material from the roll 40 along the shaft 44 and into the bearings 46 and other parts of the apparatus, flanged wheels 132 (see especially FIGS. 1 and 3) are keyed to the shaft 44 at opposite sides of the roll 40 and overlying the trough 84. As

the treating material collects on thewheels 132, it flows to their lowermost extremities from which it is discharged into the trough 84. v

' To gain access to the mechanism just described, the bolts 36 are unfastened and the front panel 32 is withdrawn from the housing 12 so that the sprocket 74 is'disengaged from the chain 66, the weight of the chain causing its lowermost run to assume a sagged condition as partially seen in FIG. 4. The carriage3 0 can continu'eto be withdrawn from the housing 12 until the forward edge of a stop lever l34strikes the-enclosure 12 adjacent the aperture 34 as seen-in FIG'.-4..Th"stop [ever 134 is loosely received on the rod 38, suitably-positioned ad 'acent one of the tracks 28. A tension sprin' 136' issulta bly ixed at its opposite ends, respectively, to theaack 28'anditd-a bent over ear 138 at the rear of the stop leven 134 to normally hold the stop lever 134 in the raised positionengaging a stop pin 140 (FIGS-1 and 2) fixed to the track. To release the stop lever 138, its raised end is depressed against the force of the spring 136 and the carriage 30 can continue to be withdrawn from thehousing 12 until the forward edge of the stopjqijer 138 clears the aperture'34.IWith'the knob 128 rotatedg to the closed position,- the flexible hose 122 is disconnected from, the tube and the drain hose 118 is disconnected from the nipple 116,- so that the carriage 30 can be completely removed from the machinefor service or replacement. A reverse, procedure is followed torestore the carriage 30 to its opera} tive condition. A

While a specific form of the invention has been disclosed herein, it will be understood that various changes and modifi cations may be'madeiwithout departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. Apparatus for treating an advancing strand of yarn ,com prising, support means including a plurality of spaced-apart bars, a plurality of "rollers mounted on said bars, treating means for treating the st la carriage including tracks movablysupported on saidrollersfs'aid carriage'mounting said treating rriea'nsand being-'mova e'fon said rollersbetweehh first'p'osition and a second pd n and drive means operable to actuate saidtreating means as'said treating means is m from said second position to said first po'sition, said means being disengaged as said 5' said first position to said second position.

'2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said treating means includes a rotatably mounted roll, and said drive means includes a driven member coupled'to said roll'and drivingly engaging a driver'when said treating means is in said first position and being disengaged from said driver when said treating means is in said second position.

3. Apparatus asset forth in claim 1 wherein said treating means'includes a rotatable roll, and said drive means includes a driven member coupled to said roll, a drive chain, means for advancing said drive chain, and idler sprockets engaging said chain to guide said chain into a path for engagement by said driven member as said treating means is moved into said first position, said chain being disengaged by said driven member as said treating means is moved to said second position.

. 4. Apparatus-as set forth in claim 1 wherein said treating means includes a supply trough adapted to contain treating material and a rotatable roll mounted to pass through said trough for delivering the treating material to the strandi Y 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 including adjustingmeans for varying the depth of the treating material in said trough.

6.'Apparatus as set forth in claim SWherein said adjusting means includes a hinge pivotally mounting said trough on said carriage and a bracket releasably'fixed to said carriage and.

pivotally mounted to said trough for raising and lowering said trough about said hinge.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 whereinjisaid carriage includes stop means engageable with said support means; for

preventing movement of said carriage beyond said. second position.

treating means is moved from 

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said treating means includes a rotatably mounted roll, and said drive means includes a driven member coupled to said roll and drivingly engaging a driver when said treating means is in said first position and being disengaged from said driver when said treating means is in said second position.
 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said treating means includes a rotatable roll, and said drive means includes a driven member coupled to said roll, a drive chain, means for advancing said drive chain, and idler sprockets engaging said chain to guide said chain into a path for engagement by said driven member as said treating means is moved into said first position, said chain being disengaged by said driven member as said treating means is moved to said second position.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said treating means includes a supply trough adapted to contain treating material and a rotatable roll mounted to pass through said trough for delivering the treating material to the strand.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 including adjusting means for varying the depth of the treating material in said trough.
 6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said adjusting means includes a hinge pivotally mounting said trough on said carriage and a bracket releasably fixed to said carriage and pivotally mounted to said trough for raising and lowering said trough about said hinge.
 7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carriage includes stop means engageable with said support means for preventing movement of said carriage beyond said second position. 